Hypex Ncore NC1200 Amps at NY Audio Show in April

In Room 1019, Tube Audio Design demos their amplifiers based on NCore1200.

Another very interesting components in that room are the music servers by Musica Pristina (Virtuoso and A Capella)

Have a fun !

I visited on Sunday. My impression of NCore1200 based amps: Tube Audio Design, Mola-Mola and Merryl Audio - they all sound the same: "warmish" and dull.

I could not A/B any of them with my Spectrons monoblocks but from memory, Spectrons are much, much better.

A friend of mine who also have Spectron monoblocks wanted to have a separate system based on SET amplifier and hi-efficiency speakers. He got SET built by Dennis Had (of famous Cary) and we did a few listening tests.

To my suprise, the "sweet seductive etc" midrange of SET amp was not better then midrange of Spectron transistor switching amplifier (with old fashion transformer base power supply which I suspect is the key to Spectorn sound).
Overall, Spectron sound was much better then that of SET. Regardless of midrange - you need weight, body, slam, soundstage etc.

I did not wanted to post that Spectron midrange is nearly identical to that of SET as not many people will believe it. However, I remember I am not a single one. There is review in Audioreview.com of Spectorn owner who also did the same comparison. I did not believe him at that time.

I wish the best to all owners of "new and imporved" NCore1200 but I am extraordinary happy with my Spectron with old fashion power supplies (with all upgardes possible!). I will add only that in my V-Cap Upgarde I have CuTF caps instead of regular TTFT caps and this make a big difference, IMO

Also, another point. New-er technology may be important but its implementation is much more important then anything else. As far as I can understand "Athmosphere" who produces one of the best tube products in the world and "Spectron" express identical philosophy in approach of building pre- and power amplifier and may be this is the key why Spectron midrange in A/B test show the same sweetness as SET amp

Hello Hifial,

One of the friends of mine who actually presented at the show also told me that NCore1200 sounded "bright and harsh"

I heard what I heard but it could be choice of demo music: at any rate I did not found them very musically involving. May be if I would audition them in my own system I would change my mind.

"This is a quote from Positive Feedback reporting on the NYAS 2013:

Sanders Sound & Merrill Audio
Right across the hallway was another electrostatic speaker, the Sanders Model 10c, and another variation in sound quality. Power was provided by the Merrill VERITAS Mono Blocks, which use the latest Hypex Ncore NC1200.

Radically different than the Martin Logans, the expected transparency usually associated with 'stats wasn't in evidence. The midrange on down was heavy and the top lacked a bit of sparkle."

Hello Isanchez - I heard the same. I called this sound "warmish and boring" - may be your definition "overprocessed" is more accurate then "warmish" but boring it WAS !!!
I also like word "artificial"

If I remember well, you are aslo Spectron owner. A few weeks ago, I audition Spectron stereo with all upagrdes versus SET amp - the rest of the system was the same. To my surpise, the midrange was equally (well, very close) sweet in both amps...

All The Best

" According to most listening impressions, including my own, Class D technology's main overriding sonic characteristic seems to be that it sounds like nothing. In other words, class D's main sound character is a total lack of a sound character."

Is it because of divinde intervantion?... or we already finished development of power amp and anybody including Mr. McGowen can buy mass production module instert it into his own design chassis with his own colors and logo (with his or other input stage) and Oh-La-La, we arrived in Paradise (without 72 virgins)?

" Yes, well over half the expense is in the NL produced Hypex modules - two 1200 watt power supplies and two 700 watt modules"

"Exactly which 700 amp modules is Paul referring to"

These are Hypex switching power supplies.

However, I afree with Bill_k that for $4k MSRP, Mr.
Gowan cannot afford NCore 1200 x 2 plus their PSU x 2